By Despite a list of features that reads like it was pulled from a smartphone buyer’s wet dream, there is a glaring absence from the LG Nexus 4 spec sheet. While its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, launched with 4G LTE connectivity, the latest member of Google’s pure Android line is a 3G-only device. In an interview with The Verge, Google’s Andy Rubin explained that the Galaxy Nexus came off as more of a failed experiment and example of why LTE is not quite consumer-ready, but it seems like a poor excuse for a feature that was touted as a prime selling point when that handset launched.
Yes, there are some real reasons why sticking with HSPA+ speeds and a 3G GSM radio makes sense. A single cellular radio drives down the upfront device cost and proven 3G technology will cut down on some of the excessive battery drain that Galaxy Nexus users experienced, but plenty of manufacturers have put out 4G devices in the past year and have managed to address these issues. Pricing might still be a factor, but it’s nothing that couldn’t be solved by working with carrier partners.
Google, however, has a bit of an apprehension about working with carriers due to the delays involved with providing updates to Nexus devices. They also have an apprehension to the supposedly tiny market size of LTE subscribers. Did they miss the memo that nary a major handset release is announced these days without LTE as a prime feature? LTE is quickly becoming the standard, not some future-proof feature, but Google is content to insist that the technology has not matured enough at this point.
Bluntly, Google’s explanation for no LTE in the Nexus 4 comes across as a cop out more than anything else. It’s a step back for a company that has prided itself on taking on new and untested technologies, and it comes just days after I lauded Google’s work to become a market trend setter. This was the company that forced Apple’s hand with the Nexus 7, making the iPad Mini a necessity. Now the iPhone 5 has LTE support and timely updates to boot while Google has scaled back for the sake of volume.
It’s a mixed message. Let’s develop a set of futuristic eyeglasses with a computer interface built in, but let’s not release a flagship smartphone with LTE. A flagship smartphone that follows our last flagship smartphone that did launch with LTE.
Google is banking on enticing customers with a low-cost, off-contract smartphone, but in doing so they have violated what I feel has been a core tenant of the Nexus brand. Nexus has always meant cutting-edge, developer friendly devices that push the boundaries of smartphone technology. And while Google successfully demonstrated with the Nexus 7 that proper pricing can equal huge gains, the Nexus 4 misses the mark.
Backpedals? The gnex never had lte :p lol
I have LTE in my Galaxy Nexus
VERIZON & SPRINT.
Yeah.. GNex has LTE… lol
How dare you. You’ve offended my phone. ;)
Clearly Alex does not own the 4g version of the gn. I forgot it had a 4g version til I saw this article.
Agree.
No LTE, no care. Nexus 4 is underwhelming and I don’t think well. However, I do like the off-contract price.
Do you guys have any clue as to what you talk about?
Wait whaaaa?? No LTE? Why the hell would they do that! I’m only with Sprint b/c of their LTE coverage in my area…their 3G sucks!
That is a deal breaker for me… damn.. I was hoping to pick this bad boy up too… Now Google gave a reason for the iSheeps to talk mess about Android…
Guess I’ll do with a Nexus 10.
Your on Sprint, you can’t get the phone anyways.
lmao, damnit, that is true.
Who knows.. maybe Google will release an LTE on-contract version with 32 gb of storage..
Or not.
You’re incapable of using “your” correctly.
No. With mediocre connectivity, the skimpy storage size is even more infuriating.
Sad but true.
No Nexus for me :(
Yep, and it’s the only Android phone worth buying. Thanks for turning your back on a loyal Android customer Google.
No SD cards, no replaceable batteries, now no LTE? Is Google trying to shave down the Nexus customer-base to the wacky fanboys who will buy something simply because it says “Nexus?” C’mon Google, I thought that you’re better than that. -smh-
No, you’re wrong. Google wants to limit Android fragmentation. The main reason is not to satisfy fanboys, but to unify Android like iOS is. To do that, they must draw enough people into the idea of AOSP. They want a phone to appeal to EVERYONE, and if that means cutting price and features then so be it. Not everyone is a power-user. I think they have done an excellent job making a high end phone like the Nexus 4 only cost around $300-350 unlocked.
I think folks underestimate hspa+. Having LTE myself, it’s kind of overrated. I was already considering an international Note 2 anyways so I’m cool with them trying this, especially at this price point.
LTE just isn’t worth it yet. HSPA+ 42 is incredibly fast and considerably more battery friendly. Google’s doing the right thing.
how so when everyone developing a smartphone on an LTE capable network is using LTE. IT’s the dumbest thing I’ve read today on this site.
Cost vs capability. LTE coverage is minimal world wide. It doesn’t make sense to increase the cost of a Nexus device developed for world markets (not just North American).
Worldwide, LTE can be considered scarce. Even in major cities, LTE coverage is spotty.
All it comes down to is, until there is a reasonably priced LTE + HSPA SOC (not the current HSPA SOC and secondary LTE radio chipset battery chomping setup), don’t count on seeing it on a Nexus device, mostly to keep the cost down.
Honestly I was already considering an international Galaxy Note 2 with hspa+ and no LTE already, so this is super tempting.
The Nexus 4 is only HSPA+21 compatible dude.
tmobile confirmed it’s actually +42 according to quite a few different sites
The T-Mobile N4 is HSPA+42
Funny how the specs on Google’s site were initially wrong. You’re correct, HSPA+42.
That’s true actually. If Sprint contacted Google and was like “dude, check it out, we really like the Nexus brand and we would looove to have an LTE Nexus” All Google would need to do is to set them up with LG to produce an LTE version of the phone at Sprint’s expense for the extra cost of the LTE radio, and then add that phone’s drivers to AOSP.
No idea if that’s how it really works in real life, but in my head that’s how it’s going to play out.
I’m quite content with my 32gb Verizon Galaxy Nexus with LTE.
Give me a consistent 10-15mbps down and I’m happy. If LTE costs one cent more or uses one more miliamp of battery juice then I’m fine without it. Of course the other side of the issue are the CDMA folks that are left out.
Would you like some cheese with that WHINE?
HSPA+ is 3 times faster than 3G and can run HD Netflix & YouTube without stuttering. Battery life is much better. Plus, HSPA+ is has far more coverage than LTE in the US and worldwide. Would I rather have LTE? Sure- if the battery was big enough to handle all day usage (ala Moto MAXX), but the extra $100 in price to add those features wouldn’t be worth it. No one would buy a Nexus at $449. We saw that with the Nexus One and unlocked Nexus S.
Well, people are whining because half the major carriers in the US don’t have HSPA+ or even just GSM options. I’d say Sprint and Verizon customers have a lot to whine about.
Kevin’s whine wasn’t about carrier choice, it was about LTE. More of the world has HSPA+ than LTE. The rest of the world is on GSM, so (ATT+ T-Mobile+ World) > (Verizon+ Sprint). But I totally agree with you that I would LOVE to see a pentaband GSM & CDMA LTE & HSPA+ unlocked Nexus 4.
Of course, that phone would cost $799, and I wouldn’t BUY it- and neither would you if you didn’t work for Phandroid.
Kevin is just abitch
When has Google ever sold an unlocked CDMA phone or LTE phone? It is premature whining on Kevin Krause’s part. There is nothing saying that an LTE variant of the Nexus 4 won’t be released. Sprint released their Galaxy Nexus 4 four months after Verizon’s which is around the same time the unlocked GSM version in the U.S. was released.
Google did the right thing again and released the unlocked phone first in the U.S. That was their mistake with the Galaxy Nexus.
So you saying just because more people in the world have 3g, then the people who have 4g need to shut up n stop complaining? More people in the world probably have 2g, i bet if they released an edge only nexus you too would be complaining.
No. That’s NOT what I’m saying.
#1 HSPA+ IS 4G. Get it straight. It is also 3 times faster than 3G on the Nexus 4, and 6 times faster than 3G on the Galaxy S 3 and HTC One S and 8X. There is a HUGE difference between 2G (Edge) and HSPA+ (21). Edge maxes out at 150kb/s vs. 10mbps on HSPA+ (21). HSPA is 66 TIMES faster then Edge. LTE is at best 3 times faster than HSPA+ (21) in real use. Not even a comparison.
#2 I’m not complaining about anything. I’m celebrating. I’ve already sent in my “indication of interest” on Google Play.
#3 LTE requires carrier interference, and I value freedom, battery life, and fast updates more than I do the speed difference between HSPA+ (4G) and LTE (4G).
#4 AGAIN,the phone you are asking for would not only get slow updates, but it would cost $799, and I wouldn’t BUY it- and neither would you.
That was the short story. Here is the long story:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte
When Verizon and Sprint stop screwing with the Nexus program and treat it like the iPhone, you’ll see LTE Nexus phones again.
Sprint was NOT screwing with the nexus program. VZW did. My Nexus S does not have a Sprint app or even logo on it!
I don’t NEED an unlocked cdma nexus I just need a cdma nexus variant period. And one that doesn’t come out 8 months late.
So cdma doesn’t have hspa speeds so it would either Be 3g or LTE.
You value freedom for you, but not for everyone. Cdma doesn’t have instant updates but the sprint gnex still got jelly bean before every other phone on sprint.
I’m not saying google has to do anything with lte but it us understandable if lte people are unhappy. Sometimes you have to put yourself in other peoples shoes.
Or you could just switch to a real carrier?
A “real carrier” one that charges as much as Verizon but has the same coverage as sprint minus the unlimited or go to TMobile with their well priced but inconsistent coverage. I have considered going to TMobile once they brought back unlimited but its just a consideration.
You buy a Nexus for updates straight from Google. With LTE you cannot do that, the updates still need to go through the carriers. Why is it an excuse to say “We tried a Nexus with LTE, but once again carriers botched the update timelines, and battery life lasted like you were folding proteins on your phone.”?
I’m just curious why Google couldn’t just put out a Nexus 4 with CDMA/LTE that works on Verizon’s frequencies. Do they really need to work with Verizon to release a device that works on the Verizon network?
With CDMA, they do. The fun will start when Verizon goes to simultaneous voice and data over LTE.
yes. if i’m not mistaken, for the cdma signal type, all devices need to be approved by the carrier. it’s not like gsm where you can just pop in a sim card and go. i don’t know about lte though since iirc it uses sim cards as well.
It uses sim cards, but they might as well be built in sim cards like Sprint because no other LTE phone in the world will just hook up to Verizon’s network. So really the sim card is only useful when going from a Verizon 4g phone to a Verizon 4g phone.
Yes
#1 Cost
#2 Yes.
Yeah I wish those folks were wrong. It’d be nice to not have Verizon screwing everything up. Makes me pretty happy to be on AT&T oddly enough.
quick updates is the next best thing. I’d take a CDMA nexus with quick updates and LTE and Vanilla Android with good specs over having to be forced to root
That’s my point though. How many phones right now have semi stable ICS/JB ports that still have super big issues with cameras, hardware acceleration, random reboots because their carrier never released new kernel source for their devices?
You can have the best developers in the community working on your phone, but backporting and decompiling kernel drivers will only get you so far. Eventually the devs move on to a newer device with proper source to make stable roms.
That is why the rooting/flashing community will never be able to completely overcome the lack of carrier updates. We need source releases.
Kindle Fire has the LTE but price is pushed to $499 and you have a get a data package to go with the pricey Kindle Fire. Let’s see how many LTE enabled Kindle Fire’s does Amazon sell. I do love LTE speeds but most people including me are going to fork up more money for the device and data plan.
In my opinion, the biggest fail of the Galaxy Nexus LTE was VZW’s BS. It seems to me like they did their best NOT to market it and push their Droid line and the Apple phone instead. I hate the fact that when I log onto my account to pay my bill I’m greeted with an ad to “Upgrade to an [Apple phone 5]!”
lol I agree, how does a droid RAZR(not the max) outsell a nexus device. Especially when it has a smaller battery, doesn’t have a 720p display, no timely updates, and it just looks ugly compared to a GNex.
I’m sorry, but I agree with Google’s reasoning here. I might be in the minority, but if you think about it: to build a phone with cdma, hspa+, gsm, and LTE radios that cover EVERY NETWORK in the world, it would cost about $999 and be as thick as the heads of those without reason. Not to mention the fact that it would never ever ever be built because of terrible USA carriers and their forceful hand unto every device they want.
Sure, AT&T has said they would let you use their LTE network unlocked, but that is still a lot of money to pour into a device that does not work everywhere. I wish it would come to AT&T with LTE, but alas we just have to wait a hundred years before USA carriers either die or wise up.
you wouldnt need all of those radios in a single phone. And i also dont mind if LTE versions are only sold through carriers. Would just like the option to buy a Nexus on Sprint (or Verizon) and not have to be forced onto a separate carrier. I have an Evo 4g now and was looking to sell it and buy a nexus but since it appears Sprint might not get one, i’ll be waiting for a Galaxy S 4 with Exynos 5250.
Sprint tends to get Nexus phones from what I’ve seen, though they tend to be months later. Hopefully they’re working on one for them since Sprint tends to have Google’s back.
Thanks Verizon for screwing this up for everyone. This is why we can’t have nice things.
how is it verizon’s fault?
They completely botched it with the release, no advertising, lousy/unknown update schedule. In complete honesty, it wasn’t in Verizon’s best interest to push this phone because of the fact that they couldn’t put any crapware on it save for the My Verizon app and they couldn’t lock down the bootloader. To basically brag about the fact that they were gonna be the exclusive carrier for the phone for some time and then push it under the rug immediately after they started carrying it was shameless.
we’re also forgetting that the last thing verizon wanted was a phone with the built in ability to wireless tether. I think that had a little something to do with it.
Software updates for LTE phones (and more specifically carrier subsidized phones) have to go through the carrier. Verizon is notorious for severely delaying updates for Android handsets. Google has called Verizon out before for it with the G-Nex. Motorola has called Verizon out. Even HTC called out Verizon (although they beat around the bush with it). These software delays make the phone manufacturers look really bad, and they take a TON of crap from customers for it. The Verizon G-Nex got it’s official 4.0.4 updates months after it’s GSM brother. Google doesn’t want to deal with it. Nexus phones are Google experience phones, and Verizon was negatively impacting that experience. So Google chose to cut out the carriers (except T-Mo who I’m sure would bend over backwards for Google right now). That is why it is Verizon’s fault.
Remember also that T mobile were the ones who took the risk on releasing the very first Android phones while other carriers didn’t want it. Especially At&t. I would say Google made a good choice in going back to T Mobile.
the LG Nexus 4 didnt go back to t-mobile. its pentaband, and works on all GSM networks, it works on at&t’s 3G also. including Tmobile’s
You’re misinformed, T-mobile will be selling it in their stores as a carrier exclusive (for now)
except that Google is also selling it as an HSPA+ phone compatible with AT&T’s 3G and “4G” beginning November 13th 2012………. so it is not only a T-Mobile exclusive, seeing as anyone on AT&T can buy and use this phone.
Yes, it will technically work on AT&T, but since their only off-contract Smartphone plan is $65 a month and only gives you 1GB of data, is anyone really going to take their Nexus4 to AT&T?
OR, you could use the grandfathered AT&T plan that you have always been using for the last several years, and pop that sim card out of your phone, and put it inside of this phone…. you don’t even need to let them know you’re buying a Nexus4
Good point. Too bad I’m not one of those people. : /
T-Mobile is the only carrier advertising the phone, so in essence, it is coming back to T-Mobile. Most of the average people won’t know that you can buy the phone off the play store and use it with either T-Mobile or ATT, they just know when they were walking by that kiosk they saw the new google thingy and it had a really cool sparkly back.
Well then… Why is there a web page featured on T-Mobile’s website for the Nexus 4( 42Mb+ version) ?!?!?!!
the Play store Nexus4, and the T-Mobile Nexus4 are in fact the same phone, both have “42Mb+ HSPA+ radios” SOURCE: http://www.tmonews.com/2012/10/t-mobile-confirms-nexus-4-hspa-42mbps-connectivity/
You forget one thing… most people who are not technical do not care what version of Android a phone let alone know what version it is on. Those who buy it that are technical people like myself and many who read this site should just root the nexus and put whatever version of android you want on it. That is how I got Jelly Bean on my Verizon GNexus and guess what it took 2 minutes. With that said I am disappointed with the battery on this device, so I would not buy it on Verizon anyway, I would much rather wait for the HTC 5 inch device that is coming out or get a Razr Maxx HD and just root it.
iPhone 5 = LTE on ALL carriers including Verizon and will receive updates on ALL carriers including Verizon. Price on contract for 16GB $199.
Nexus 4 = LTE on zero carriers, zero Verizon support, no contract offering. price for 16GB $349.
GTFO of here sucking off Google. They fucked half their US customer base and I have no interest in another Android phone until it’s resolved. I got burned too badly with buying a 2011 phone that never received updates.
Because Satan is to blame for everything bad….
RTFA.
“‘Firmware pushed to devices over the air must be tested and certified,’ Verizon told us.”
Of course, that means tested and certified by Verizon. Or, in other words, delayed and delayed and delayed some more.
It’s not Verizon’s fault, it’s Google’s fault for not working with them. The iPhone 5 has LTE and has come out on EVERY carrier. Android has now officially proven they are not capable of the same thing unless it’s some garbage 3rd party device covered in bloatware like the Galaxy S3.
Are you kidding me? It is entirely Verizon’s fault. They want to control every single aspect of Android. Look at all of the phones with locked bootloaders. They obviously don’t want their customers to do whatever they want with their phones. Look at Verizon’s Galaxy Nexus. It gets Jelly Bean months after initial release. Verizon is poison to a unified android system.
You couldn’t be any more wrong. Google worked close with Verizon, but Verizon is notorious for delaying updates and it wasn’t in their best interest to make the G-Nex a highly sell-able phone
Do I admit carrier exclusives are dumb? (looking at you Moto). Yes, but a lot of those contracts were signed years ago and I am sure things will change. As for the SGS3, do you know which one has the most bloatware? The Verizon version.
But you missed the point completely. Google is selling a high powered full feature phone off contract, where they can completely control the experience, for $250-300. That iPhone 5 starts at $700!! And it doesn’t work on every carrier. Go buy that AT&T one and try it out on Verizon. Or T-Mo (at least you’ll get edge). Or any European LTE.
This is it right here. Problem with LTE is that everyone’s is different. Verizon’s LTE is different from Sprint’s, which are both different from AT&T and all of those are different than the many different European countries that have LTE.
It kinda looks like Google is showing the carriers that people want this device off contract and they want cheaper broadband prices. This is voting with your wallet right here.
you know what else people want? the option to buy a nexus device on cdma whether it be on or off contract. I’m sorry but google isnt showing sprint or verizon anything by not giving them a low volume seller. They are just saying they dont want to deal with the headache.
Exactly, malcmilli, you’re the only one with a brain on this entire forum. Everyone else here either works for Google or is so brainwashed they can’t see how much this fucks Verizon customers.
THERE SHOULD BE A CDMA/LTE NEXUS JUST LIKE HSPA+.
Yea man, I’m just hoping that only applies to unlock nexus and sprint n Verizon will but an lte variant soon
If they were so concern on the LTE variant chewing up the battery on the Nexus 4 why didn’t they make the battery removable, problem solved. For what I can gather most of the people who buy a nexus like to tinker with it and with that, for the most part are willing to get an extra battery for the device. I’m sorry but battery packs don’t appeal to me. They messed up last year for making it an exclusive to vzw which at that time I didn’t mind because I’m on vzw. But now they just kept vzw and sprint out of the nexus project at least for now anyway and its suck…
CDMA restrictions and unusual LTE bands for AT&T don’t align well with the philosophy behind the Nexus program. The Verizon Galaxy Nexus confirmed that. Like it or not, its impossible for Google to make a “true” Nexus with LTE at this point in time.
Can’t you switch to another carrier? Or are carrier in the states monopolizing some area?
Excuses… nothing but excuses from everyone here. Bottom line is EVEN THE iPHONE 5 HAS LTE NOW on Verizon Wireless! I agree the carrier is garbage but if Apple can do it there is no excuse for Google, a company with just as much power. Apple has an unbranded phone and they control the updates on EVERY carrier.
Wake up everyone, this is bullshit, Google completely fucked over half their US customers. Verizon is the only carrier I can use because of signal at work. Now I’m fucked, all I wanted was a Nexus and I may even make the jump to iDOS out of spite.
Google didn’t work you over at all. You need to wake up and really who is bending you over. Verizon will do anything for Apple…this is true. But Verizon doesn’t budge for Android phones because they will shop around to other manufacturers who will do what they want. Verizon knows they can do this. Google tried to work with Verizon and Verizon negatively impacted the experience of a Nexus device, so Google pulled out. I am sure Apple would do the same if Verizon started messing things up, but Verizon knows better because there is no other iOS device they can bring in.
You are clearly just trying to troll though. Any Android user would be jumping for joy and the powerhouse lineup Verizon has/is going to have. You already have the Razr Maxx HD, which is a beast and is only lightly skinned, but you also have the HTC Droid DLX and Galaxy Note 2 coming your way. But you may want to use an iPhone. I think it will be for the best.
You must be smoking CRACK!
Why post if you’re not going to make sense?
Give me some of that good stuff.
I usually just chalk up phinn as a troll, but in this case, I agree with him. Without a doubt, Verizon makes it very difficult for Google to release a pure Nexus device with timely updates. However, these problems are not insurmountable. Phinn is absolutely correct to point out the fact that Apple made it work. When iOS 6.1 is released, Verizon, ATT, the UK and Indochina will all receive the updates at the same time. The fact that the updates will land on a thinner, faster phone with 4x the storage is a different and equally aggravating issue.
Apple is a closed system. Verizon likes closed systems. Android is not a closed system and Google wants Nexuses especially open.
Faster than what? Run benchmarks of an N4 against an iPhone5 and I am sure you will be amazed. Thinner than what? The Droid Razr is thinner and packs a bigger battery. Or a Droid Razr HD is 10% thicker but packs a 75% larger battery than the iPhone 5. (I’d take the battery).
And you are comparing storage between a $350 phone and a $900 phone. That makes a whole lot of sense. With storage equal (16GB), it is still a $350 phone and a $700 phone.
where do you buy your weed. I’m not saying everything you said is wrong. just that your ignoring the obvious when it stares right at you in the face. yes its great that android comes with a million options, shapes, hardware and designs. but that is also a bad thing about android. and especially for software developers who make apps. not to mention consumers. with androids immense fragmentation its hard to keep track of whats what. as you already know android is not a one size fits all. how can you be android fanboy when android is many different things. it would be more realistic to be a fanboy of samsung or motorola then to be a fan of the android platform its self. and I can tell you right now for a fact the platform is not better then ios. when has something that was free ever been better then something to you pay for. you can download android for free and put it in a toaster for gods sake. where with apple because its closed off and will only work on apple devices.making the software and hardware fully integrated. making developers happy. making customers happy because they know they are getting what they pay for no guess work needed. making apple very profitable. and giving apple the leverage over providers. do you not understand that? why should google innovate the android platform when they offer it for free. then get the living day lights sued out of them for it. not to mention that fact that your so easily satisfied with the platform as is. you probably see no need for adjustments at all do you
“I can tell you right now for a fact the platform is not better then ios”.
Fact…..I’m not sure it means what you think it means.
Paying for sex makes it better o_O?
Just because u pay or pay more doent make it better.
Just means you pay or pay more.
Gmail was free when AOL charged….which was better?
And do you know how many corporate database systems run on Linux distros? They pay for the support, but technically the software itself is free. And no it’s not just because companies want to save money. Linux is better, lighter, and more secure in a ton of instances.
And you clearly don’t understand the difference between open source and the Open Handset Alliance. There are standards that must be met in order to be a certified Android device and be able to receive Google support, including the play store. So yes you can put Android on a toaster, but that doesn’t mean squat to developers because they wouldn’t be making apps for your toaster unless it met the requirements of the Open Handset Alliance. (which now that I think about it, I would love to have a twitter or news feed on my toaster while making food in the morning).
And Google is doing far more innovation than Apple with iOS. Every feature iOS has added recently was “borrowed” from Android or Windows Phone. The new tiles in your siri queries look like Google Now and Windows phone features. You know that nice notification drawer? Android for the win.
I am not saying iOS is bad. I own a 3rd gen iPad (yeah, boo hiss), and I understand why people like iOS. It’s simple (too simple IMO) and the app store is very developed for tablets, but you are trying to call me blind when it is obvious that you are the one that isn’t seeing clearly.
wrong Butters. Bizzle, yea I sometimes troll out of irritation, but perhaps you will start seeing truth in my words.
Verizon was on it’s hands and knees to blow Steve Jobs. They fucked up with Google and tried to take control of the Galaxy Nexus – Like it or not Verizon asked for this.
not EVERY carrier, not on Tmobile yet, thankfully.
This is on the Verge. They said that the only markets that really have LTE is 77, and this is in the US. They would need to make a device for 77 different markets. Um? No… Not worth it.
Try reading it. You’ll learn something. Oh yea, and Verizon says a phone on its LTE network can be open, but a phone on its CDMA network has to be highly restricted. This is why the iPhone can happily go on their. It’s uber restricted.
Also, it’s very battery consuming to have millions of different radios running in your phone. Just read the link.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte
You have no freaking clue what you are talking about. How about YOU start reading!!
The things I said were based off what I read. Not that I’m one to judge like some people apparently. Please enlighten me with an unbiased thought.
Hmm ok, but Apple is happy to make a CDMA/LTE device in this market. Guess they would rather have my business then.
No, not so. The LTE is NOT needed by very many people, other than enthusiast who can’t seem to see around the corner of costs. However, No SD, no Sale!
Hmm, hobbling Google Wallet because they were developing a competing service(ISIS)? Verizon’s fault. Delaying updates? Verizon’s fault. Verizon insisting on preinstalled bloatware that altered the ROM and being part of the reason for the delayed updates? Verizon’s fault again.
So where did Google go wrong specifically? They put out the updates regularly for their GSM phones. They sent patches and the latest versions of Android on time and without delay. When the GSM Nexus was getting 4.1 Verizon customer’s were stuck waiting.
The only reason the iPhone has worked out on Verizon is because Apple won’t let Verizon control anything. Remember when Verizon didn’t get the iPhone? it’s because Verizon wanted to dumb down the iPhone, bloat it up, and slap their logo all over it. Apple said no and went to AT&T where they let Apple do it’s own thing with their phone. Verizon paid for that blunder so bad they no doubt said “okay Apple we’ll play by your rules this time, just pretty please let us have the iPhone..” and Apple does their thing. Google made a concession to Verizon by allowing them to bloat up Android and have their way in order to get the Nexus on Verizon. Well that didn’t work out so well so now Google is taking a play out of Apple’s playbook, build a Nexus device their way and make Verizon come begging to them for a Nexus so they can have it done their way and not Verizon’s way.
I think it has more to do with licensing issues for CDMA and LTE. Qualcom, for example, has been reluctant to release open source compatible parts for CDMA in the past. The issue is more about open source being feared by companies who only have Intellectual Property as a product: if they give it away it becomes harder to sell it.
Verizon screwed up last year, this isn’t baseball there is no 3 strikes in the Nexus Game
If I was Google I wouldn’t want anything to do with Verizon. How many CDMA Galaxy Nexus users said “Screw Google, this phone sucks I’m never buying another Nexus again.” because Verizon/Sprint gimped it.
It was hurting the Google brand. Even Andy Rubin referred to it as a failure.
Sprint didn’t gimp it. That was just VZW.
Yes they did. Sprint gimped it by forcing many users to use their horrible 3G data until they roll out LTE to the rest of the US, which could take a long while.
My 3G isn’t horrible. I get 1mbps+ on my sgs 3 that I’m quite happy with.
I guess you haven’t used your sgs3 on 10+mbps, there’s a big difference from 1mbps to 10mbps….vzw LTE is a lot better/faster then 3g especiallay sprints 3g
I’ll take unlimited 1mbps over tiered 10mbps any day.
I just used my 1 mbps speeds on Sprint to argue my way out of my contract with no etf. I could give a damn about lte at this point, bring on the hspa!
Bring on the EDGE, with T-mobile that’s what you get outside of a major city.
Oh you meant AT&T on straight talk? Enjoy getting throttled to 160kbps for the rest of the month after using just 200mb in a day.
I get 30mbps down and 15mbps up.
really? i have no problems with the data. my reason for not getting another nexus has to do with SD cards and batteries, a purely google decision. if the nexus 4 had an SD card and a removable battery and came on Sprint i would definitely be picking it up.
Google is being stingy by putting this small batteries in their nexus devices. What are they thinking. If you can remove the sd card, make them at least 32 gb
I honestly don’t know what the benefit to a non-removable battery is, perhaps saves manufacturing costs; personally i don’t like it.
as for the SD card, that is a definite deal breaker for me, i don’t care how much on board storage there is. as i have stated in other forums, to me it’s just as much about portability as it is about storage, meaning i can take my SD card out and give it to my friend to put into his phone and copy whatever files he needs, or slap it in my tablet, camera, camcorder, computer, whatever and not have to involve a USB cable. I know their reasoning behind doing away with SD cards, they want to push people into the cloud.. no, i don’t want to be in the cloud(or at the very least i want to be extremely limited there). while i appreciate the autouploads of photos and videos on google plus, this is just backup for me and i prefer to keep the files for actual use on my actual phone. it’s a pain in the ass not being able to access something because for whatever reason you aren’t connected to the internet.
I can live with no removable battery, but i can not live with a a non removable sd card. these manufactures are trying to trick us.
I get 30mbps down.
i don’t number crunch so i have no idea if that’s excellent or horrifying, but i have never had a problem with the speed pages load, apps download or anything like that.
it doesn’t explain why they are not announcing an LTE AT&T version though,
or T-Mobile when they start rolling out their LTE advance network next year…I say that was a poor excuse on their part not to include LTE on the N4. They are talking about 2 radios, but doesn’t the S4 Pro have the LTE radio on the chip already?
That is a very good question my friend.
LTE AT&T is not common standard, a LTE AT&T will not work on other carriers LTE. Im guessing LTE Nexus4 will happen later, but you will need to wait a while for it.
If you want a large base of potential customers and some media attention then you just might wanna deal with Verizon if you’re making handsets for the U. S.
Google screwed up by allowing a Verizon tainted device to bear the Nexus name. I don’t see anything wrong with avoiding a repeat of the same problem.
Yeah. As much as it sucks, I know exactly why Google did it and I understand their decision.
verizon also screwed it up for sprint…… bastards
No, Sprint played their part in being a bunch of d**ks as well. Verizon was by far the worse offender, but Sprint didn’t do anything to help their case either.
LG Spec here on VZW LTE and after ICS update that left the Spec with no 3G/4G toggle I can tell you that 4G sucks the battery rather fast, you can watch the battery drain in PPS (percentages per second) where 3G is PPM (percentages per minute). 4G is not what it is cracked up to be, fast yes, battery drain, fast as well.
Mexico has no LTE and so I don’t really care the lack of 4G Radios =P
and who cares about mexico
I’m unimpressed by this phone, but not because of the absence of LTE. I pay $30/month for my off-contract HSPA+ service from T-Mobile. If T-Mobile weren’t so technically backward, they wouldn’t offer such a great, great price. I’m glad to do without LTE if I get to also do without carrier price gouging.
Why is this a bad thing? Ok, great, LTE is fast.. blah, blah… Who cares when you have data caps? I spend most of my time on WiFi anyway, so just give me good battery life. That is exactly what HSPA+ does; better battery life than including LTE, plus the network is still plenty fast enough for data-capped usage. Just my 2 cents.
In regard to outside the US, makes no difference. However in the US, this is a deal breaker for many of us. And many of us aren’t interested in the Nexus 4 already ! I understand why Google is going this route, and I accept that. But their will be consequences for this. Either way, I don’t care. I’m one of those people who are more than happy with my year old Gnex. Seriously, I love this thing.
OMG not again, outside of the USA technology DOES exist believe it or not. Strange as it may seem you guys have to wait until the phones have been rolled out Internationally before you get them.
Also from what I understand from what you guys write on here you seem to think a top spec phone is cheap if you get it on contract for $200 / $300 ? Well here in the UK All contract phones are FREE ! !
LTE is ‘just’ rolling out now on one of the Largest Networks – the rest will follow suit early 2013 (testing has been going on for months. The UK is behind most of the rest of Europe so no it doesn’t just exist in the USA.
Thats crazy. For me (yes that means my coverage area), my Gnex gets consistent 29mps download. There is no way I can go back to 3G only phone. I charge my phone once/day. Before 4.1.1 my phone could not hold 4G for more than 30 minutes but after 4.1.1 I can hold 4G for the entire day. A next gen phone should offer that option to you. If your signal or battery suxs then switch to 3G and keep it there. But if you live in an area like mine, there is no reason to go 3G. Android is about the options.
Its not 3G its 4G HSPA+ the very same that you have on your Galaxy Nexus
Where do you live that you get 29 Mbps? I have seen 10 Mbps from Verizon in my area (Metro Detroit) but usually get 3 or 4 Mbps when I don’t get downgraded to 3G. T-Mobile HSPA+ speeds are around 3 to 5 Mbps in my area.
Send your complaints c/o Verizon Wireless.
The only people complaining are the people dishing out a crapload of money for LTE.
not dishing out any more than the person not using LTE. Your point fails at being anything but whiney.
You’re delusional. Compare the 4G prices of T-Mobile to the 4G prices of Verizon /ATT. You are getting ravaged and don’t even know it.
I’m only paying $45 for Unlimited everything on Straight Talk. I can pop my SIM into any T-mobile or AT&T smartphone I want and get HSPA+. So I’m not dishing out more than the person using LTE, and the bright side is that when I purchase this phone I can pop my SIM Card right in and be on my way. You’d be surprised to know not many people actually use LTE,
no LTE and lower price, that sounds well…
here’s what I first thought when I read about HSPA+: if anyone really wants LTE, they can easily get themselves a mobile hotspot. A Verizon one costs just $20 on a 2 year contract. That also means (a) your battery life doesn’t get affected as all that you’re using is WiFi on your phone (b) no tethering charges and you can connect up to 10 devices at a time (c) you don’t need to pay for a call/text plan, which a lot of people want to leave now.
You’re going to save a lot buying this over virtually every other phone available.
Yeah. Why carry one device when you can carry 2?!
Remember how much of an issue people had with the Verizon/Sprint Galaxy Nexus getting Jelly Bean much later than the GSM? Google wanted to keep this off the hands of carriers, and I can’t do anything but applaud them for that. It’s about time. They also knew they had to cut down the price, as the subsidy is a major reason why many want to get a phone from the carriers (and the lack of which is what caused the Nexus One to fail plus some more reasons).
To bring it down to $300, they needed to skimp somewhere. Which is the best place to cut it down? LTE. A majority of users don’t need it yet and it also allows them to save on battery.
I think the Nexus 4 has the same purpose as the Nexus 7: boost Google’s other important elements, this being a support for Google Wallet. If you really need LTE, you can get another device or get a MiFi. Yet again, I want to highlight the Mifi because it also helps you skimp about $100 on tablets if you’re someone who needs a cellular connection for that, and hundreds of dollars on tethering fees. Taking the two into count, you’re pretty much buying the phone for free.
I have to disagree with on the Nexus being the cutting-edge device. They sold as the “pure” Android phone. Galaxy Nexus GSM and Nexus S didn’t initially come out with LTE. The world market is still GSM for now.
That label is a carry over from the Nexus One which truly was cutting edge at the time.
No LTE makes a lot of sense. There is no serious carrier partnership here, T-Mobile is selling it for $200 on contract, which is absurd, since it can be bought for $300-$350. On top of that, T-Mobile is only now starting their LTE network.
The clear ‘correct’ way to buy a Nexus device, is to buy it unsubsidized, and take it to a prepaid service like, Straight Talk ($45/month unlimited), or Simple Mobile ($50/month unlimited). You’ll be paying half what you would through a carrier like Verizon, and if you don’t like your service, just take it to another MVNO.
Once prepaid carriers start offering LTE service, then it becomes a priority. If a carrier decides to seriously subsidize the Nexus 4 (and get out of the way of updates), then it becomes a priority. Until then, I’ll take the better battery and cheaper price.
2100mAh isn’t better
Agreed. Without LTE, it doesn’t seem like a worthwhile upgrade from the Galaxy Nexus (which I picked up just a few months ago)…
The build quality is much much better in addition to the quadcore. I would definitely say it’s worth the $300 for the build quality alone.
You’re saying that the “build quality” of your current Galaxy Nexus is so bad you would pay $300 for the exact same internals with a better “build quality”? You’re either rich/spoiled or you’re talking out of your ass.
He wants to be anti-Apple so bad it hurts. While the iJunk gains LTE after iFans whining for years the need for LTE on their junk, Google decides it’s not worth it. I’m sorry Rubin,but you’re no Jobs. You can’t convince the world that Flash is dead, even though HTML5 was proven not ready, more jobs are out there for Flash and so on.
LTE has very little coverage compared to HSPA and the LTE radio is super battery inefficient. In addition, HSPA speeds are enough for most people. Google is smart in holding off LTE until that technology is perfected.
Just for the record, Apple convinced Adobe and Adobe dropped Flash support on Google. Google isn’t responsible for that. If you are going to point those pitch forks and torches at someone point it towards the great big problem, Apple and Adobe.
Wrong! Wrong! Adobe was ready to move on to the next technology before Job’s famous tirade. I think Adobe just decided to dig their heals in defiance of Apple and keep Flash around a little longer.
Really, who is going to buy an LG Nexus phone anyway? HTC and Samsung make a lot better phones, and even ASUS…. When there is HTC OneX+ , and Galaxy Note Line, are you going to buy this?? Also it looks as though they are making it non carrier specific and off contract purchase. So that came into choice also.
I’m buying the Nexus 4 and I’m sure every Nexus fan will do so as well. This device is absolutely GORGEOUS and I think this will be the turning point for LG if they keep things up. Remember, Samsung phones used to suck and so did Motorola. Look at them now.
I’ll only buy for Nostalgia and the fact that $349 is a great price or who knows this may drive down the GN’s price down more.
Lol its hilarious that when the iphone didn’t have Lte you fanboys would rant and rave about how apple was always late to the game and how you had Lte and iphone didn’t, yet now your flagship device doesn’t have Lte its ok and it’s justified and you even find the right excuses Hahaha pathetic!
LTE has very little coverage compared to HSPA and the LTE radio is super battery inefficient. In addition, HSPA speeds are enough for most people. Google is smart in holding off LTE until that technology is perfected. You people are just falling ploy to smart marketing, “4G LTE”, when HSPA speeds are very comparable to LTE. Google is smart enough to realize that LTE technology is not good enough to use. Use your brain.
“Google is smart holding off LTE technology” um what are you talking about holding what? lte was already on the previous nexus so if anything they backpedaled here. Those excuses you’re giving here are the same ones apple had been giving for not having lte all this time and ppl laughed at them so now that Google decided to not include it, yeah now it’s ok and it’s understandable, don’t be a hypocrit man
For one, don’t tell me what I think. I NEVER cared much for LTE or that 4G crap. I was tired of hearing LTE being super-awesome. Well, I never bought into that crap nor did I care whether any phone and iPhone had LTE. Read my previous and you will figure out that I don’t care about it. Don’t call me a hypocrite when you don’t read.
I read your previous but you’re not getting my point, yeah you say that you never cared about lte however if the nexus would have it maybe you’d be singing a different tune, I hate it when fanboys (from either side) always justify what either apple or Google do, no matter how much they drop they ball. Blind fanboyism is the problem here, same with the apple fanboys, keep it real and objective. Of course they dropped the ball by not making it lte I want the latest technology in my hand period not excuses.
You’re not getting my point. What part of “I don’t care about LTE” don’t you get? Why are you assuming everything? Even if the Nexus 4 had LTE I wouldn’t care. LTE is simply not very good right now. The Galaxy Nexus that was sold unlocked DID NOT have LTE, so I would say this entire article is null in saying Google backpedaled. And here we go with the fanboy name-calling, used only when you’ve got nothing to say. Don’t act righteous when you’ve got nothing more to say.
“lte is simply not very good right now” wow are you serious? Lte is blazing fast and seems to work great on the iphone 5 and on my galaxy s3 big difference from the regular 4G to 4G Lte, and I’m not name calling here I’m simply stating the fact that apologists from every os always seem to support anything new thrown at them without ever questioning it
Pathetic attempt at trolling.
Not trolling brainiac just stating facts if that’d all you have to bring to the conversation thank you, try again.
It’s not a fact until you identify a single person who bashed Apple for not having LTE and is now justifying Google’s choice. Different people have different opinions, troll.
hey fanboy, go back to any post on here that talks about the iphone 5 and lte and youll see legions of your fellow fanboys talking about how apple just barely got lte when android has had it for a while so go get your self hundreds of “facts” any of those posts
I have to admit, this is an apt post.
My Verizon LTE Samsung Galaxy Nexus doesn’t seem so outdated now. Not trading my unlimited LTE for this one.
No LTE & only 16 gigs of storage = Deal breakers.
My Galaxy Nexus on TMO has 4G, and it’s faster than my buddy’s and my boss’ phones with VZW 4G and Sprint 4G. :-P
Only saving grace is T-Mobile is selling an HSPA+42 version of the Nexus 4
So much for using my upgrade in april. Not much of an upgrade, my LTE Galaxy Nexus will have to keep me happy a while longer.
I would buy it in a heart beat, only problem……. it doesn’t support Verizon bands, now I have to wait till next year to get the next nexus which will hopefully support LTE.
HTC DLX here I come, hopefully there is a way to unlock bootloader and should have huge dev support. No LTE are you kidding me, LTE has been around for 2 years now its not a new technology. I never thought I would say this but I dont want the Nexus 4. Now the Nexus 10 looks amazing for 399, blows away any other android tab by far!
As I Read the Comments and this article, I realize that people will never be satisfied. The Author states that Google “Copped” out. How? Why? The Galaxy Nexus was never an LTE device. Sprint & Verizon were the only 2 companies in the world to release an LTE Version. You had to sign a contract and they weren’t sold through the Google Play Store. Secondly, LTE is relatively a new technology. Carriers worldwide aren’t using the same spectrum. Check out this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_LTE_networks Even the U.S. carriers use different radio bands. I own an iPhone 5 on Verizon Wireless and guess what people? I can’t talk and surf the web at the same time because Apple refused to add an additional Antenna. Doing so would have compromised the design of the iPhone and also Battery life.Third, How long did the LTE Variants of the Galaxy Nexus take to get Jelly Bean after it was unveiled in June? I think Google chose the right direction. Free of nonsense and free of Carrier politics.
I’m glad El Goog didn’t include LTE because it sucks battery but, theres no denying LTE is the future so El Goog did drop the ball on this one in that regard…Google dropped the ball on the hardware by having no removable back and wth ever glass is on the back.. They isn’t better than the Galaxy Nexus hardware wise, it rather the same with a poor casing.
Did you read anything I said or skimmed through it? There are only 77 LTE Markets worldwide currently. one LTE Band isn’t compatible with the other. For Example, At&t and Verizon both utilize the 700MHZ Band for their LTE. But At&t uses Band 17 for their Deployment and Verizon Wireless uses Band 13 for their deployment. In Regards to the no removable back and poor casing, Get over it. More and More Manufacturers are moving away from removable batteries and microsd cards. They’re embedding them. This phone is 10X more powerful than the Galaxy Nexus and it’s cheaper. I don’t know how you got the notion hardware wise this phone isn’t better.
Yet easily the most successful Android manufacturer (Samsung) always has removable batteries and an empty sd slot. The people have spoken. It’s time to listen.
What people are you talking about? the die hard tech nerds? The Minority? Everyday people don’t give a rip about tech specs only we do. That’s why Apple is so successful. I didn’t say every manufacturer is releasing a phone without a removable battery.I state more and more are doing it. But regardless of what you may think the major one’s are. HTC, Motorola & LG to name a few. Don’t be surprised if you see Samsung follow suite in the not so distant future.
From what I remember I got JB on my Verizon gnex about 5 mins after it was announced! But really about an hour if that.
Umm No! Jelly Bean for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus was officially announced on 9/21/12. http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/21/verizon-galaxy-nexus-finally-lands-jelly-bean-update/ thats the link by the way. Not unless you had a GSM Variant. The only way you got your Verizon Galaxy Nexus on Jelly was rooted and you were installing a leaked version (Which is a test build) or you installed an aftermarket Rom such as CM10.
for anyone wondering why Google would allow something like this to happen with a flag ship device carrying their very own software. it’s because many of you have forgotten that unlike Apple. Google doesn’t really give a damn. Their not in the business of making computer hardware. Or software for that matter. They develope android for free. Then they get sued for it by apple and Microsoft. Google is in the business of search! And if I were running things at Google I would just abandon android altogether. I would think it wasnt worth the headache of having to go to court all the time. Yes apple and Microsoft are just being a holes. But it doesn’t change the fact that android fanboys have nothing to complain about. You, we all know a head of time what we’ re getting when we buy an Android device. Were getting a device created by sloppy partner ship. If you want standerds then you need to buy a device with intergrated software and hardware. I hate that people who own I devices are such douchebags. But iPhone owners rarely have any complaints about their devices for a reason
Move on troll..
Partnership, is one word.
HSPA+ is plenty fast enough. For carriers like verizon, where LTE is the only version of 4G, this is going to suck. But I used to have the Atrix on AT&T and it had HSPA+ and I got really good coverage with about 6mb down and 3mb up which is plenty fast for a mobile device. LTE isn’t worth the battery drain compared to HSPA+. 3G on verizon sucks tho. I could barely get 1mb on verizon 3g.
Nexus phones have never been cutting edge. With nexus s the samsung galaxy s was out before it and had slightly better hardware and more Samsung enhanced apps. Galaxy Nexus had the slightly better Galaxy S 2. Now google comes out with Nexus 4 and likewise there is the Galaxy S 3 that is slgihtly better still and probably a LG variant that is better. Google is simply making decent examples that demonstrate a quality built device but not leading edge. They then up the anty by pricing the highish end device low so the other manufacturers have to reach a little to distinguish themselves. What is a very cool trend is how they are supporting the low cost off contract plans that t-mobile has by supporting HSPA+ and offering the low price. I pay half what my friend on contract at Verizon pays and with that savings I can buy a new nexus phone every year if I want.
The Nexus One was a completely cutting edge phone. It had a 1GHz processor, AMOLED screen, and 512MB of memory. It revolutionized the Android phone. It wasn’t a best seller but set a better standard for Android phones. The Nexus S introduced the NFC chip which the Galaxy S lacked. The Galaxy Nexus introduced the HD screen which the Galaxy SII lacked. The Nexus 4, however, doesn’t seem to have any real cutting edge feature (wireless charging is cool but not cutting edge since the Palm Pre had it 3 years ago).
Donot agree with article. To much crying and not enough of the big picture.
I just don’t like this for selfish reasons only. I pay $52 a month with taxes on Sprint since I’m on a family plan. Looking at individual plans with T-Mobile and AT&T I will have to pay a good deal amount more then I do right now.
Please forgive my stupidity on the subject, but, just like a few phones prior, is there any chance that it could have LTE radio capability by way of a future software update a la the Note 2?
There are a lot of areas where GSM simply isn’t a good option so not having this available on Verizon, Sprint, or one of the regionals like US Cellular is a loss to a lot of people.
This should be labeled as an opinion piece. I personally would buy an hspa+ device over LTE any day
Since when did the Google Gnex have LTE? The one I bought from Google sure didnt have LTE… Ohhh I forgot, your talking about the Verizon and Sprint Nexus… my carrier doesn’t even have LTE so I don’t care that the phone lacks it. I would hate to spend more money on the device that has a feature I can’t use.
I tend to agree that they needed to address the LTE issue, BUT I am with T-Mobile and to be honest, HSPA+ 42 is fast enough for me and probably most users, although I would caveat that to say the NEXUS phones are geared to the Tech savy person who is a heavy data user.
I would pay an extra hundred for an unlocked version with AT&T LTE easy. They really should have included that. Badly.
Here’s another thing, going back to what Google said about how much storage Android users use on their phones and how they’re moving toward the cloud…. (2Gb my ass) If we’re saying that 3G, and presumably WiFi are as fast as it’s going to get, then wouldn’t it make more sense to not even offer the N4 in an 8Gb?
Seriously, Google could own right now if they said, no SD, no problem. Here’s the N4 at 16Gb, 32Gb, and 6-10 months later a 64Gb phone.
They should of had given us to option to turn it on or off at least.
Folks, PLEASE READ THE VERGE ARTICLE sited above. And if you didn’t see it in Kevin’s article, check it out here: http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte
I wasnt interested in a N4 by LG anyway, very happy to stick with my Gnex LTE. Love this device. I would prefer to get updates direct from Google and not have VZ stick their worthless asses into the mix but oh well there are ROMS for that.
Who says there won’t be another Nexus phone with LTE built in… I bet by the end of Q1 2013 we’ll have another Nexus phone by another manufacturer… that’s the power of the Nexus Brand, it’s a quality standard, it’s not a single device.
Looks like Google is finally following Apple’s footsteps. Releasing last year’s tech today.
HSPA+ gives me faster download speeds than LTE……… so Google is correct to assume that the LTE market is extremely small
At time I got my Samsung Galaxy S3, LTE was not available with my carrier. Would I buy a phone today without LTE? – most likely not. I guess that goes for most android die harts like me, but considering the average consumer, I’m not sure it’s going to make a big difference. HSDPA+ will probably do the job for most, but personally I would hate missing out on those super speeds.
On second thought I would probably trade in LTE for fast android firmware upgrades. :-)
And finally, it’s a worlds phone so don’t blame it all on Verizon..
If there’s a negative article to be written, you can bet the farm Krause will have penned it. I don’t know why I bother with his stuff.
I’d say it was a huge mistake. The iPhone 5 brags excellent battery life on LTE (don’t know how accurate that is) while my Rezound works just fine (assuming I’m not in a fringe zone, and I have an extended battery so pthbthbthbhthbthbthb) but not removing the most current radio tech simply because the networks aren’t 100% yet is rubbish. This is supposed to be an example of what Google can do, not a reflection of everyone else’s problem. That being said, I won’t buy an LG or a Samsung branded device anyway (Motorola, Nokia, HTC, Asus only please) so I don’t care all that much about this particular model. Still, it’s quite disappointing.
Google never had LTE in the unlocked version. Don’t get caught up in someone’s premature whining.
everyone keeps talking about verizon. is the no LTE N4 the VZW variant only or for all N4s?
I think Kevin Krause is prematurely whining. Google is releasing the unlocked version. They have never sold an unlocked LTE Nexus device. From the looks of it, the carriers can sell their own variants of the Nexus 4. T-Mobile has confirmed they are selling an HSPA+ 42 version of the Nexus 4 (the unlocked version is HSPA+ 21).
i think i picked i5 was the right choice after all and still can enjoy 4.2 on my gnexus.
This just killed the Nexus for me. I think I may cry.
I really don’t see why anyone on Verizon would buy this. I think going unlocked on any of the carriers that use the HSPA+, including some of the really cheap smaller ones, would probably be good for a lot of people. For myself, having had 4G LTE for the least couple of months for the first time with the GSIII, there’s no way I would buy a phone without it. Forget it. At least I’m glad that I didn’t wait around for this phone to come out. I love my GSIII.
Because not everybody has the choice of multiple carriers. My area has 2 options Sprint(with high drop call rates and HORRIBLE signal) or Verizon. AT&T has only edge in my area and T-Mobile actually cut off all their customers around me and told them to find a new carrier. The closest GSM network thats 3G is about 50miles from me. So yea i want an unlocked phone that will actually work decently near me.
I am one Verizon user who will buy this device. I hate Verizon. The LTE service in my area is sporadic (we’ve had it for almost two years). LTE is not a selling point at this time. My experience with it has been mostly bad. Yes, it is fast; but it drains your battery like nothing else. HSPA+ is almost as fast and the battery can last more than a day. I had to buy charging dock for work so my battery wouldn’t be dead when I left.
not to mention the lack of a external Sd slot and non removable battery. this phone is DOA.
its $299 and has hspa+ at least and your still complaining?
if im on verizon or sprint..yes, i am complaining.
luckily im not on either so it doesnt matter to me, though it will matter to google. they potentially just lost some 170 million customers. who’s gonna buy this phone on those networks when they can only get 3G speeds? and why should people who have the old galaxy nexus upgrade to this one?
they now cannot compete with the other phones coming out.
Last time out, Verizon negotiated timed exclusivity and then did everything in their power to ensure as few of their customers as possible bought it. Google’s not missing out on much by ignoring them this time.
Well, no LTE so I guess it’s the Galaxy Note 2 for me come December 1st
No Lte, what a joke! Is this 2010?
I think Kevin Krause misses the point. When has Google sold an LTE device through the Google Play Store? It hasn’t. Therefore, the Nexus 4 is not going backward. This is the unlocked device. How many LTE bands are available? In the U.S., there are currently five different bands and I am not sure what band T-Mobile is going to use. Other countries are not using these same bands. I imagine it makes it difficult to come out with a LTE device that supports all the LTE carriers. Fortunately with GSM, there seems to be 5 unique bands that almost every carrier seems to support one of those bands. Once the LTE dust settles, it might make it easier to figure out what bands need to be supported in an unlocked device.
I imagine Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile (already confirmed with HSPA+ 42), and AT&T will come out with their own versions of the Nexus 4 probably with have LTE and will be priced accordingly. I imagine Andy Rubin’s comment about failure probably refers to giving a carrier exclusive to a Nexus device. The Verizon Galalxy Nexus has been a disaster (late release, exclusive, slow updates, and very expensive). I have no reservations about switching back to HSPA+ and T-Mobile (maybe the T-Mobile version will have inactive LTE bands that will work once they switch to it). The only thing I really gained by switching to Verizon was a bigger monthly bill.
As for the uneducated (Kevin Krause included), LTE is not always better than HSPA+. When I had T-Mobile, I was getting similar speeds with their HSPA+ network than I do now with my Verizon Galaxy Nexus. Even though Verizon’s coverage map indicates I live in an area (Metro Detroit) that is solid 4G LTE for miles, I usually get put into 3G which is extremely slow (Verizon has the worst 3G speeds in my area). I would imagine as time goes on and Verizon continues to build up their infrastructure that this will improve, but for the last year I find that I am paying more for slower service overall. When I do get LTE it is slightly faster than HSPA+, but I find connecting to HSPA+ to be consistently better. I also believe the battery issues are primarily the result of weak signal strengths. When I am in an area with strong signal strength, my battery drain is a lot less than in areas where I keep switching back and forth between 3G and 4G.
Wow. I no longer have phone envy. I’ll happily stick with my Galaxy Nexus…
I miss the good ole days of removable batteries, expandable storage, and flash support. And apparently lte
I love 4G LTE speeds on my Galaxy Nexus, and I don’t have an issue with the power consumption, I just bought a bigger battery. I love Nexus devices but I would NOT buy the “latest & greatest” Nexus if it is going back to the crawl of 3G. Just my 2¢
Even with the extended battery, I am lucky to get 8 hours on my Galaxy Nexus. I believe weak signal strength is the biggest cause of battery drain.
Also, T-Mobile HSPA+ gives me consistently faster speeds than Verizon LTE. HSPA+ is not a crawl. I have seen up to 9 Mbps in my area on T-Mobile and usually at 3+ Mbps.
Dumb noob question, is lte that much faster than hspa+
It really depends where you live. HSPA+ can have the same speeds as Verizon’s LTE. In my area, Verizon does hit the fastest speeds, but their coverage is weak so I typically get much better speeds with HSPA+, overall. However, this could be different in your area.
For me in the Providence RI, area VZW LTE is light years faster than 3G. maybe the phone had something to do with it too. I used to have Droid X
I assume you’re talking about Verizon’s EVDO “3G” network. The original poster was talking about the fast HSPA+ networks enjoyed by the rest of the world. HSPA+ is capable of speeds similar to those available on LTE today. LTE speeds will increase in the future, but it’s not a big difference today.
Thanks for info guys
Sadly this is a deal breaker for me. Not to mention the weak storage options. I really don’t get it. Flash storage is NOT expensive. There is no reason for top tier smart phones to not come standard with 32GB and a 64GB option.
I’m sorry to have to tell you .. but USA is not the only market Google is selling this to. But USA is one of the few markets that has LTE. So that phone may not be the biggest hit in America but will blow up the rest of us (not lucky enough to have LTE.) Cheap phone with that many awesome things in it… COME TO PAPA!
Instead of cutting costs, why not give customers what they want? It takes money to make money.
Google made the right decision here. I do not have LTE where I live so I do not know the real difference between 4g and 3g but I am pretty sure different carriers have different 4g networks which is not good. plus it doesn’t really matter since 4 G is not in a lot of places.
I have the galaxy nexus and was very excited to buy the next phone in the nexus line. I was pretty let down to hear that LG got the contract and now to hear that it’s not 4G I will be buying a different phone.
Just proof that Google is unwilling to challenge carriers in any meaningful way. It also means Apple is going to maintain a lead in update quality
If Im not mistaken all Snapdragon S4 chips have an LTE radio built it, so there should be a way to hack the software to open up the LTE radio, like the Galaxy S3 on Verizon can be used on ATT and Tmobile and other GSM networks around the world, now the only hard part is getting on an LTE network, only one I can think of is ATT because the supposedly have it open so anyone can get on it. Verizon has a similar program BUT CMDA screws it up.
how much is the tmobile version of nexus 4 without a contract?
CDMA is a much better tech for calls. Better building penetration, longer distance signal, better hand-off, virtually no dropped calls.
Google made the right choice. I’m buying this phone, in part, because it has pentaband HSPA+. LTE means nothing to me. One unlocked phone that works at high speed on almost every carrier in the world, sold direct by Google. No carrier tampering. No inflated prices. I can use it literally anywhere at a reasonable cost.
The only people who really care about LTE are Verizon subscribers. They chose to do business with a company that made the wrong technology choice (CDMA) and stuck them with a totally substandard 3G network, that refused to allow a proper Nexus, and that abuses its customers and partners non-stop. No sympathy from me.
If I used it on Tmobile I wouldn’t mind. It’s fast enough for me. And even on vzw where I get 60mbps with speed net I’ve never seen things download as fast as expected.
Battery life on the Galaxy S3 is superb with LTE on full time. So it can be done.
Battery life was utter crap on the Galaxy Nexus, whether on LTE, 3G,or wifi. I’m sorry to say, but Nexus seems slightly below a flagship phone to me. More like a niche device for flashoholics. I’d rather have a flagship device with an unlocked bootloader is I ever feel the need.
You’re saying it misses its mark without even trying it out? Sad conclusion
The Verge answered everything more. It’s a really good read. You’ll learn a lot. I didn’t realize how little LTE was. This is why Google didn’t add it. They explained it thoroughly. Think about it. What markets really have LTE? Google would have to build 77 different devices for the different markets. Just read it. It’s pretty detailed.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/29/3569688/why-nexus-4-does-not-have-4g-lte
This is huge disappointment. They easily could of had the best Android phone since the Nexus phones get OS updates first, but the hardware on this phone sucks!
*could’ve
the phone IS STILL 4G. its just not LTE. 4G is merely a data speed standard. 4G speeds can indeed be achieved on HSPA+.
4G is not data speed. It is gen of network. HSPA+ was a third gen network. Besides, HSPA+ speeds never get close to LTE.
4g, 3g, 2g, 1x are not networks. They are speed standards for a particular network. There is actually no network that currently has real 4G in the United States even though They advertise it here anyway. LTE, cdma, hspa, these are networks. Both LTE and hspa are capable of very high speeds and while it is true that LTE when fully developed will deliver much higher speeds than what hspa can provide, LTE isn’t as far along in its development as hspa thus they currently even out in speed. Hspa is in way more markets than LTE right now as well. This will change in the coming years but right now LTE isn’t that much faster and isn’t more widespread than hspa.
LTE is a 4th gen network. HSPA+ is a 3rd gen network. The speeds are not even comparable. HSPA+ is only at a max of 21 Mbps in 90% of the US. AT&T does not even go over 21. That is not real speeds. HSPA+21 tops out at about 8. HSPA+42 in the few markets it exists in on T-Mobile tops out around 18. Verizon’s LTE covers 85% of the US population, and speeds top out around 50 Mbps. That is just the downloads. Uploads on HSPA+ are awful. Latency? Ha!
As I said. LTE when fully developed will be faster than hspa but you’re only citing Verizon and many people on Verizon aren’t getting those speeds. I’m talking about current real world performance, not peak potential. What about att, sprint, and tmobile’s LTE? Yes, Verizon is way ahead of everyone else in their LTE deployment but just because they have more LTE coverage doesn’t mean everyone is bumping along with 50mbps speeds. The average user isn’t getting anywhere near 50mbps on any carrier. Quality over quantity. Att and tmobile’s hspa networks are more further developed than The LTE networks they’re jump starting. I’m not even gonna talk about sprint.
It ain’t there yet. Give it a few more years.
I get 20-50. I never get below 20. AT&T’s HSPA+ network has a max of 21, which mean real world of 10 or less.
YOU get 20-50. Someone posted a speed test for metropcs LTE where they were getting 12mbps. Does this mean everyone or even most people on metropcs are getting those speeds? No way. One person’s results don’t determine the average user experience for everyone.
Back haul determines a lot. Verizon’s back haul is much greater than that of Metro PCS.
Oh great. A new phone for 2009’s networks. Pass
The best I can get is 8mbps on download with Verizon on LTE in Raleigh NC, and San Diego CA. So realistically, HSPA+ is more than enough. Verizon’s LTE network is saturated, and does not offer the 35mbps I use to get over a year ago.
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At&t only supports Hspa+ 21 T mobile has Hspa+ 42 much better if you live in a good coverage area. I would get the note 2 or the GsIII
Being on AT&T I’m thinking this will probably be my next phone since there, in my opinion, are no phones really worth being locked down for 2 years over and I could possibly upgrade next year if I choose to. With that being said I was really looking forward to having LTE this time around seeing as how it is actally available in Philly now, but the more I think about it the less I truly care about having the LTE versus the features of having the Nexus 4 since I honestly don’t use my data too much and there is wifi available everywhere where I’m at that can easily be an alternative.
What do others think I should do? I’m currently still using a HTC Aria running 2.1, ancient I know but it has lasted perfectly fine, and have an upgrade waiting.
and this is why i left VZN’s gnexus…….. to i5. ATT
Everything is fine. It sounds like your pissed you can’t have one. Androids most attractive aspect is that it is disruptive. I think that is the point here. Eventually the carriers will become shepherds of the dumb info-pipes. let’s let that happen.
Simple Kevin, it’s because HSPA+ 42 is 4G no matter how much you cry about it
Wow, and just like that, I no longer want it. =/
If they made LTE versions, there would be 3 different versions in the US alone because each carrier uses different bands. This would raise prices for everyone because they would have to cover the costs of producing these different phones. It probably isn’t easy to push updates either i.e. verizon.
This universal version appeals to the masses because no carrier outside the US has a large LTE network and google controls all updates to the device. Mass production of one device is also cheaper. Those that are complaining about no LTE can still grab a nexus if you’re on vzw or can grab an S3, note II, etc. that can be easily rooted if you’re on at&t. The great thing about android is that it give you options! take advantage and quit bitchin lol
Well, you can’t please everybody and this pretty darn nice phone is gonna make a lot of GSM Nexus fans happy. Cloud will help people get over the tiny amount of storage. Non-power users as well as people who are okay with having their phone plugged in will be fine with the non removable battery. Those who prefer to never attach their phone to a cord are probably pretty happy with their GS3 purchase 4 months ago. Especially here in Chicago with Sprint’s unlimited LTE. Wouldn’t it be crazy if Samsung made a quad core LTE 1080p nexus device for the CDMA carriers (and maybe GSM too) in the coming months? Or did Google say no more nexus for CDMA ever? ;-)
Never was interested in this device anyway…. I’m on the Note 2 for VZW anyway! LTE is a must and standard! And stop crying over this phone!
Nexus = compromised device.
Hahaha! You are pretty funny! I love it when comedians come to blog sites to liven up the place! Thanks for that! *wipes tear from his eye*
I’m sure they will come out with an LTE version in several months.. to keep the brand fresh in between product cycles. But still,.. thats a few months too long
I am planning to buy the Nexus 7 16gb now. I live in the UK and it costs 169 pounds compared to the ipad which is 269. The price is a main concern for me as I had to save this money.
But now, there is Android 4.2 releasing? So should I buy the Nexus 7 which has Android 4.1 only? Is it worth it?
I don’t understand the OS on Kindle Fire as its Android with Silk. So I am not considering it but if anyone knows more about the OS on Kindle Fire, please inform me.
I would be pretty confident that the Nexus 7 will be updated to 4.2 and most likely even the next version after 4.2. That’s part of the point of buying Nexus. – The Kindle Fire is based on Android but is very modified by Amazon and isn’t a Google sanctioned tablet. That means you don’t get the Google apps or the Google Play Store. You buy all your apps from the Amazon app store.
They’re not saying LTE isn’t ready, they’re just saying it isn’t ready for Nexus devices. LTE doesn’t offer the freedom associated with Nexus devices currently and requires too many compromises to what the Nexus brand stands for. And Nexus devices haven’t really been cutting edge since the Nexus One. The Nexus S hardly had cutting edge specs and still rocked a 4″ screen when everyone had jumped to 4.3″. The Galaxy Nexus featured a TI processor that was hardly the best option as well as a sub par camera and pen tile screen. It also lacked things like Bluetooth 4.0. Nexus devices have never really been laggards, but I’d hardly classify them as cutting edge. You seem to forget that one of the core pillars of the Nexus brand established with the Nexus One was freedom from carrier restrictions. Every generation since then has taken a step away from that, until now. Google decided that enough was enough with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus and decided it was time to return to the core principles established with the Nexus One. I think too many people have lost sight of what the original Nexus brand was supposed to be.
2010 called and it wants its phone back!
As someone who will be getting an unlocked GSM Nexus4 phone I am happy it doesnt have LTE. There are way too many LTE versions to put in one phone, google would have to sell MANY, different LTE phones just for the LTE that is in the US, and that is not including the rest of the world.
Watch what happens. When AT&T and T-Mobile have nation wide LTE rolled out, I bet the Nexus phones will have LTE built in. What will you say then when you still can’t use them on Sprint or Verizon? We need people to leave the CDMA companies to send a message that we want open networks in the US. Maybe then we will see a Nexus that can work across all carriers, and the carriers will have to compete on price rather than locking you in with phones that only work on their network.
Google wants to push updates faster to their phones. Faster updates = more progress in building software for the next version.
No LTE, no biggie. No SD, No Sale!
Verizon sucks. I hate them so much. Now if only they didn’t have the Razr HD and other tasty offerings tempting me to stay…I still might leave them anyway though. My contract is up in January and I don’t really feel like letting go of my unlimited data just so Verizon execs can take a bath in my money.
could sprint be coming out with their own version of this,possibly with LTE ?
its funny, last year when apple released the 4s with hspa+ and no lte everyone was up in arms saying apple sucks, they are behind in tech apple is stupid apple this apple that. now a year later the nexus 4 is released with hspa+ and no lte all of a sudden its ok and everyone is here trying to justify it. im no apple fan but im just pointing out the obvious.
bogus reason, for not lte, and bogus logic for having not higher internal storage options. especially for a flagship phone
I do not blame google, i blamed Verizon for all this mess with LTE.
Everyone needs to take a Xanax or something. LTE is no big deal. I even said this last year, when the iPhone 4S shocked no one by not having LTE either. LTE = HYPE.
The fact is, very few people bother to pay the subscription fees for LTE. The fact is, LTE is not a “real” standard — it’s a lousy patchwork of proprietary garbage networks like Verizon, where you need “permission” to use a phone on the network. The fact is, HSPA+ currently offers transfer speeds FAR in excess of current app requirements. The fact is, LTE requires terrible design compromises in order to accommodate two sets of radios (since LTE isn’t pervasive enough to be relied on exclusively).
Wake up. Google just turned smartphone economics on its head. This is a device that sells with tip-top hardware and stellar industrial design for $299 unlocked. That’s just incomprehensibly amazing, and no one is paying attention because Verizon told them they need to get “the LTEs”.
well in france iphone 5 is not compatible with our futur LTE, it was the same to the new ipad on australia and governement forced apple to remove the 4G mention.
so ok on USA it does not work but the problem with LTE is that there is no clear standard across the wolrd. I understand google about that.
Let’s see…
Android fans criticized Apple for an all glass phone, no LTE and limited storage…..and what is the initial accessory for both the N4 and iPhone4….a bumper to protect the glass. Oh and no user replaceable battery or Adobe Flash support.
I think Andorid fanboys should stop critcizing Apple because every time they do, Google takes a feature away and these fanboys look foolish. Next thing you know they will move your headphone port back to the top…..oh wait….
I’d never give up my Galaxy Nexus for the Nexus 4. I can’t believe they took a step backwards like this. How disappointing.